Those that know me are well aware that although certain aspects of Trump intrigued me, I felt that the existential risks of a Trump presidency outweighed the potential benefit. However, that discussion is over. Donald Trump will be my president and yours. He is deserving of my support unless he proves otherwise (as was President Obama for whom I voted in 2008 but could no longer do so in 2012). And, most importantly, as is true for any incoming President, he is deserving of America’s support.

Nor has President-elect Trump done anything since the election that would disqualify him from receiving that support. Sure he has made some choices for Cabinet and other positions that I am unhappy with. Sure I wish his tweets would be more reflective. But equally surely, he has made some choices that I consider acceptable or even excellent. And, his positions on certain issues, especially Israel, are much more representative of my own.

Clearly our new president will be a departure from the norm. Where that departure will lead us remains to be seen. However, there is value in questioning every aspect of how are government has operated and there is some promise that Trump’s approach will lead to something better. Am I still worried? For sure. But I am also determined to not stand in the way of positive change. I refuse to let my fears manifest in obstructiveness and close-mindedness that would harm rather than help. I also refuse to discount the reasons Trump was elected. They are, and were, valid and entitled to respect, no less so than the concerns that drove those who voted for Clinton.

I say this because before politics and party I am an American. I choose always to lean towards thinking the cup is half full rather than half empty. I choose to favor compromise with, and respect for, the views of others. My goal is for our country to move forward. It cannot do so unless the discourse that divides us becomes less powerful than the democratic values that bind us. That is our obligation to our fellow citizens, our children, and to future generations.

So, for now, place me in the hopeful and optimistic camp. I would like nothing more than experiencing the taste of eating crow turn pleasurable.

Last week, through a fortuitous set of circumstances, I was honored with the opportunity to address seven different groups of students at five schools in Jackson Hole over a twenty-six hour period regarding the Holocaust. In total I spoke to 650 students and then gave an eighth talk to adults at a pot luck dinner at the Jackson Hole Jewish Community Center. Of the 650 kids, I would estimate 95% of them were not Jewish.

Although the topic was my mother’s story of survival against all odds in the midst of the Nazis, the themes I spoke of had universal application: Courage, love, and sheer will power in the face of evil. As such, and at the request of teachers and those that asked me to speak, I weaved in how evil works, bullying, the difficulty of moving to a foreign land where you do not speak the language (for those students that may have arrived in the U.S. illegally), and personal responsibility. Through the use of power point slides I showed my mom’s journey, the face of evil, and my four final messages:

Never Give In when you are scared

Never Give Up when you think you can go no further

Never Again should any of us permit evil to flourish

Never Forget those that suffered in the Holocaust

The Impact on Me

To say it was transforming for me would be a vast understatement. I believe that all but five of the 650 kids were ages 13 through 17. I addressed the five younger ones separately in a somewhat watered down format. I can say with certainty that not one of those 650 kids mind’s wandered. Not one of them gave me anything other than their full attention. Not one of them failed to move me with their penetrating eyes, emotion, and focus.

Afterwards, some asked questions in the group settings and others privately. All of the questions were excellent. Two of the questions that continue to haunt me were:

Do I think people are born evil?

Do I think people are becoming de-sensitized to the holocaust?

In addition, one student, after interviewing me, said that she was experiencing a personal crisis and that after thinking about my mother’s story and my message of Never Give Up she was confident that she could handle her problems. And then, when a clearly challenged young man mustered the courage to ask me in a difficult to understand manner, “was there a fight,” I answered him as best I could and then told him it was a great question in front of the 200 other kids. Seeing his face light up taught me the power of acknowledgement and respect.

My Realization

The epiphany that came from doing this was that unless I and others like me make an effort to tell this story, the story and the lessons to be learned from it will certainly be lost to those that are not Jewish and even to many that are. If that happens all of us will be at risk again, and not just Jews, but all of humanity.

I am now determined to play a role in preventing that.

Going Forward

That twenty-six hour period completed a triad that point towards my future path in life. Those three legs consist of writing Israeli history, political activism through AIPAC, and now adding my voice to others regarding the memory of the Holocaust and my mother’s story. It is these three things that I hope will fulfill me, honor my mom, and help shape our future.

Soon, I will place video clips of those talks for you to review. If you think those conversations worthwhile, and you would like me to speak to the group of your choice, I am available to relay my mother’s story to students or adults, no matter how large or how small the gathering, anywhere, and without charge other than for travel expenses if not in the Washington, D.C., New York, or Jackson Hole area. I just encourage you to ask. It would be an honor.

I also would appreciate it if you would forward a link to this blog article to any you think would appreciate receiving it and comment on my blogsite regarding your thoughts concerning Holocaust Remembrance.

Cliff Sobin

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• How democracy grows, stabilizes, and then become unstable;
• The impact of “media democracy” in the 21st century;
• The nature of mass movements; and
• The isolation and mobilization of a white middle class that feels increasingly under attack.

And, woven throughout, is the Trump phenomena and a frank discussion concerning his likelihood of winning the White House and an assessment of whether his excesses can be checked if he does.

Whether you agree with Sullivan or not, and there are plenty on the internet already stridently stating why he is wrong, this article is a must read. By investing the ten to fifteen minutes it will take for you to blaze through it you will encounter an argument coherently laid out and powerfully expressed. After I did so I found my mind frequently wandering back to the points Sullivan raised that undeniably need to be addressed in future years. For even if Trump does not win the White House, many of the fault lines Sullivan reveals are likely to haunt us for years to come.

America has problems in need of solutions. Reading Sullivan’s haunting piece is a necessary pre-requisite to understanding the present and fixing the future.

As repugnant as the David Duke issue is, I fear too much focus will be given to Trump’s incomprehensible response when asked on Sunday if he would disavow Duke and the KKK. The discourse seems more on whether Trump’s answer was an isolated political miscalculation as opposed to a reflection of something deeper and darker. For me, despite all of the evidence piling up before, the debate Thursday unveiled who he is, a thug that relishes bludgeoning opposition. Whether that makes Trump more akin to Putin or Hitler is a macabre thought that sickens me to even contemplate. However, one thing is clear: No person or minority that opposes or even questions him is safe; whether Black, Latino, Jew, or other. And also what is awful is that his rhetoric, whether believed by him or as a result of political calculation, will inflame the baser elements of our society.

Last Thursday through Saturday has been an eye opener; the Duke/KKK issue is just another stop on Trump’s journey towards destroying what makes America great. “Making America great again” requires all of us to be outspoken on this issue with those that waiver, it is not enough to just preach to the choir. Nor should those that desperately do not want to see Clinton in office flinch from their duty to save America from tyranny stemming from the politics of hatred. Whether democrat or republican, many share the view, including me, that the last eight years has seen a failure of governance. Even more fear that the next four years will see more of the same. But what we all should recognize is that what we most can’t afford is a failure of society. That is the danger Trump brings to our nation. That is the danger, no matter our political philosophy, we must all vigorously oppose.

His head was supported by a thin pillow on a narrow hospital bed. A distinct pungent odor permeated the air. Rapid breathing was accompanied by a background rattle. His lips glistened from remnants of Vaseline swabbed over them to slow the inevitable drying and cracking from air whistling by. Thin grey hair liberally covered his scalp. His face and neck were pasty and creased. His eyes were closed. A thin institutional blanket covered both arms mottled with bruising and pooled blood. Death was stalking the ninety-two year old man. The struggle was nearing an end.

The nurse leaned over the bed and spoke to him in reassuring tones. She listened intently to his tortured gasps while her hand softly caressed his shoulder. Her focus was to ease his suffering. Her face was twisted with concern. She placed a syringe in the corner of his mouth and slowly pushed the plunger a third of the way down. A small amount of solution dripped out. He reflexively swallowed it. It was morphine. His inhalation eased within a few minutes. It was seven P.M. The curtain’s fall was postponed – for hours or perhaps days.

He was profoundly debilitated by Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s begins by robbing a human being of their independence and then their dignity. Over time, victims lose their sense of the world and their place in it. Near the end, motor skills atrophy and mental function ceases. [Read more…]